1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to ultrasonic transducers in general and more particularly to a a disk-shaped ultrasonic transducer arrangement having two matrices of ultrasonic oscillators, and two electrode patterns on opposite major faces of a composite piezoelectric material, each matrix consisting of several acoustically separated transducer elements which are electrically controlled to operate together. The bi-plane phased array permits the real time imaging of two sector planes, which can be at any angle; (in this application, orthogonal planes). In addition, an ultrasound mechanical lens is used which carries good resolution in the plane perpendicular to the actual scan planes.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of bi-plane transducer elements in rectangular arrays is known in the prior art. Typical of the prior art are the devices disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,112,411 and 4,324,142. However, the mosaic of transducers disclosed in these prior patents cannot be used in a bi-plane phased array. Neither of these prior patents discloses means for securing good resolution transverse to the scan plane at hand.